If this is your first visit, be sure to
check out the FAQ by clicking the
link above. You may have to register
before you can post: click the register link above to proceed. To start viewing messages,
select the forum that you want to visit from the selection below.

Things Lurking in the Woods: Dark Fairy Tales

Okay, I have two favorite all time themes...dark fairy tales and creepy carnivals/circus'.
I'm going to go with the dark fairy tales theme. I know it's been done (by Cindyjob, btw),
but it hasn't been done for me.

When I say that I want dark fairy tales what I really mean is eerie. So nothing gorey or
really really dark, but there is something lurking beneath the surface. The type of thing
that makes the hair on the back of your neck stand on end.

I do like a lot of color, but the colors can be dark tones or light tones or a mixture
of both. I really don't mind about that - it's up to the artist.

"Things Lurking in the Forest" doesn't mean the scary things have to be in
the woods. My favorite parts of fairy tales are the parts that seem inappropriate
for children (They are seriously telling children that the wicked queen is trying
to poison the princess with an apple? Terrific!), so I would just like my book to
focus on the really scary parts of the fairy tale.

Fairy tales from my childhood are what I prefer, so Grimm's fairy tales or Hans
Christen Anderson are my preference. Of course, my favorite fairy tale is Red
Riding Hood (BIG hint!), which takes place primarily in the woods. Someday I may
do a Red Riding Hood themed moley, too! Oh yeah!

Oh, and I am all in for squiggly seperations between artists, whether it be a
decorative border or just the end of the piece. Please don't stray too far into the next artist's space.

Lisa - I like the theme of time! Travel through time. Timeline. Back in time. Time Warp. I've already got an idea, but will definately have to work through the application of it.

GMSS - You had me at dark fairy tales (I get that) you lost me at rainbow colors. Rainbow colored, Dark Fairy Tales?? Isn't that an oxymoron? LOL I'm trying to picture it... Not sure how I'm going to pull this one off, but I am very much up for the challenge!

I'm curious - for the themes mentioned thus far, are you wanting your pages to somewhat blend/flow together with the previous artists, or do you want the pages to reflect each artists seperate ideas? For example, for my moley, I would like the pages to flow together as best as possible. What say you????

Oh, sorry Mama O' 2, I should have been clearer. I mean "dark" as in "eerie" or "scary" in tone of theme, not necessarily in tone of color.

The colors can be dark tones or light tones or a mixture of both. I really don't mind about that - it's up to the artist.

The red riding hood example is about 50% light green; everything else is in pretty dark tones except for red riding hood's cloak. It's a really good example of what I'm talking about. That would work for 'primarily green' and it is dark in the sense that it is ominous.

Another great example is Juli's spread for Cindy's dark fairy tale moley. (I hope you don't mind me constantly posting you work as examples, Juli) It's dark in theme but not dark in color:

This would be another example of 'Primarily green' and is exactly what I am looking for in theme.

Okay, after researching for 2 days now, I see that most moleys are done in an over lapping manner. Are we doing that so it flows into the next artists pages? Or are we doing 3 page spread like Juli did? or like this?

I kind of like something in between? For instance, if a little bit of one of Juli's lollipops overlapping into the next spread would be neat and make them mesh better, but I think the way so much of the lower page is overlapping is a bit too much. I like it here though, with just a little bit overlapping.

I imagine we could do it moley owner artists' choice though? How do you like it Debba?

GMSS - that helps a little bit, So grrrjules sample is okay for the color thing then? Cause I see lots of colors there and not one that stands out so much that I would sense that it is a one color theme. But I get the idea and will do my best.

As far as the overlap, less is more in my book... Please don't overlap so much that the next artist has to struggle to incorporate the previous arsist work onto their own pages. I think that last example you posted GMSS (Sleep & Dream) is just the right amount.

Lisa - I agree with GMSS, it's your book, so if you would like to have pop ups, etc. as an option then go for it!! Great idea!

Personally I don't want overlap as my theme is quite confined to the three panels. I have yet to see the overlap thing really work... I mean if the previous spread has acrylics bleeding off into the next spread am I going to match the paint? Nope. Match the colours? Maybe, but in a different medium and then I waste half a panel on background and what if I wanted to have a house start right there? I wouldn't stick half a lollipop into the next panel because that is assuming the next artist wanted a dang lollipop there! The beauty of these moleys is that they are so different from spread to spread. If you want it all to look seamless and the same then you need a much smaller group of artists with very similar styles. Just my opinion.

Juli, I shall definitely not overlap your panels if you don't like that idea.

I wasn't thinking of it as wanting to make it seamless and to look like similar artists, just more flowing.
So squiggly divisions
between artists rather than straight lines between panels.
No one should really have to match other people's paint colors or try to make it look like
a transition. Like this: